


Can we cuddle?

by Ms_Julius



Series: Tumblr Prompts (SINF) [10]
Category: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel - Michael Scott
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-29
Updated: 2018-09-29
Packaged: 2019-07-20 07:13:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16132265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ms_Julius/pseuds/Ms_Julius
Summary: Niten finds it difficult to ask for what he needs.But then again, Aoife had always been good at coaxing the words out of him.





	Can we cuddle?

**Author's Note:**

> Suggested by tumblr user @aoifeniten.

It shouldn’t be this difficult for him. They had been together for years now, even if their marriage was only a month old deal. Niten had followed Aoife all over the world, faced unimaginable horrors in order to fight beside her, and had killed more than once to keep her safe.

So why was a mere question such an ordeal for him?

With heavy steps, he walked over to the doorway leading into the living room of their small apartment. By the warming fire, Aoife was sitting on the couch, a collection of her weaponry laid on the coffee table before her. She was holding a short sword, the one Niten recognized as a gift he himself had given to her during one of their longer stays in Japan. He’d had it custom made to fit perfectly in her hand, and judging from the dexterity with which she spin it around, it still matched her palm.

Niten let out a silent cough to alert her of his presence. “You’re keeping yourself busy.”

At his words, Aoife’s head jerked up, a relaxed smirk on her face as she lifted the sword for him. “I was wondering where you ran off to!” She set the blade down, dusting her hands against the fabric of her jeans. “I’m pretty much done here. What’d you need me for?”

And there was the opening. Niten swallowed and his gaze darted downwards, avoiding the sparkling green eyes nailed to him. “I was wondering if we could…” Taking a deep breath, he gestured vaguely with his hand. 

This was so much harder than it had any right to be.

Aoife didn’t seem to catch his train of thought, because she immediately glanced at the weapons on the table. “Oh, these? You wanna help me out with them?”

Niten shook his head, now blushing slightly. “No, I thought… Since you said you were done with them -”

“We should train?” Her eyes lit up at the thought, a boisterous grin raising to her face. It was such a familiar expression that Niten found himself smiling a bit in return, despite the frustration he felt with his own inability to actually tell her what he wanted.

Taking a deep breath, he attempted again. “I wasn’t going to suggest that.” The slight drop of her grin did punch a hole in his already crumbling confidence, so he hurried to add, “although if you’re up for it later today, I’d love to train for a few hours.”

Now Aoife was standing up from her seat, eyes narrowing suspiciously as she watched her fiance squirm in the doorway. Over the years, she had learned to read Niten quite well, better than most, but even she couldn’t decipher the odd look of discomfort currently plastered on his face.

“Niten, you should just tell me,” she said quietly. “What is it you wanted to say?”

The floorboards gave a weak squeak when Niten shifted his weight from one foot to the other. It was painfully obvious that he was feeling uneasy, but Aoife couldn’t stifle the glimmer of affection in her chest. For such a fearsome warrior like Niten, a short moment of allowing his vulnerability to show was a rare occasion. And regardless of what her own personal history might suggest, Aoife had always treasured human’s ability to show ‘weakness’, a trade her own race had forgotten an eternity ago.

It was reassuring to know that even after gaining his immortality, Niten had lost so little of his humanity.

Deciding that a light push of encouragement would be needed here, Aoife walked over to the door. She stopped to stand in front of Niten, leaving only a inch or two between them. With a slow, gentle lift of her hand, she took a hold of his chin and forced him to look her in the eyes.

“Ask the question, darling.”

The blush covering Niten’s cheek grew deeper by her words of endearment. However, it seemed to be working, a soft hand raising up to caress her pale wrist.

“I… I just thought that maybe we could…” he trailed off, glancing at the side again. Aoife was having none of that, and determinedly turned his head back towards her.

“Yes, we could -?” she arched her eyebrows, her gaze questioning.

Finally, with almost an apologetic smile, Niten stammered out, “Can we cuddle?”

As soon as she heard the words, Aoife chuckled softly, cupped his face in her hands, and planted a tender kiss on his flushed nose.

“Of course we can, love.”

The wide grin of utter delight was something Aoife would never grow tired off.


End file.
